Dental health tool and method of disrupting plaque

ABSTRACT

A dental health tool and method of negating the ability of plaque forming bacteria to build plaque sanctuaries between and around tooth structure. The tool is a means for securing bristles to the skin surface of a finger of the user in order to permit both the finger nerves and gum tissue nerves to guide the use of the tool.

United States Patent [191 Jacob [111 3,905,113 1 51 Sept. 16, 1975' IDENTAL HEALTH TOOL AND METHOD OF DISRUPTING PLAQUE [76] Inventor: JosephJacob, 303l9 Ashton Ln.,

Bay Village, Ohio 44140 22 Filed: Feb. 22, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 444,849

52 US. Cl. 32/40 R; 128/62 A 51 lm. c1. ..A61H 7/00 58 Field of Search15/227; 132/887, 88.5;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,267,623 8/1966 Block 32/583,7l6,065 2/1973 Finamore 132/53 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 175,3042/1935 Switzerland 128/62 A Primary Examiner--Robert Peshock [57]ABSTRACT A dental health tool and method of negating the ability ofplaque forming bacteria to build plaque sanctuaries between and aroundtooth structure. The tool is a means for securing bristles to the skinsurface of a finger of the user in order to permit both the fingernerves and gum tissue nerves to guide the use of the tool.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DENTAL HEALTH TOOL AND METHOD OF DISRUPTINGPLAQUE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One of the objects oftooth brushing"(mouth cleaning is a preferable term) is to interrupt the harmfulbacterial activity, break its cycle and thereby prevent the destructionof the Chewing Apparatus." p

To date two of themost influential men in thefield of PreventiveDentistry, Dr. C. C. Bass and Dr. Sumpter Arnim have provided the basisfrom which most of the present day thoughts and techniques have evolvedconcerning prevention of dental disease through effective personal oralhygiene. Dr. Robert Barkley has been the impetus to bring this knowledgeforth and into a workable, explainable program.

Excerpts taken from one of the many papers written by Sumpter Arnim B.S.D.D.S. P.H.D., Professor Pathology, University of Texas Dental Branch,Houston, Texas are set forth below. These excerpts are taken from apaper written for the Journal of Tennessee State Dental Association,39-1. Much of this work was done in the 1950s and 1960s but is currentin our approach to prevention at this time; An understanding of theproblem to be overcome is essential to an understanding of the novelsolution provided by this invention.

The microbial masses develop within an enveloping zoogleal gel thatforms an invisible but effective semipermeable osmotic barrier betweenthe community and its immediate environment. In addition to theorganized adherent colonies, the gel contains a variable polyglotpopulation of free living motile or non-motile bacteria, protozoa,fungi, yeasts, tissue fluids and cellular elements that wend their wayin and out of the peripheral fingers of the community. As thecommunitiesgrow in size and the variety of inhabitants increases, living and dyingin symbiotic relationships, while separated from the remainder of themouth by the semipermeable zoogleal barrier, a' little microscopic worldcomes into being with discernable morphologic attributes and detectablephysiologic and pathologic activities. When end products of theproliferating, degenerating, fermenting or putrefying mass affectadjoining tissues they incite a pathologic response. This microbialcommunity with its enveloping gel functions, in its entirety, as amicroscopic entity'is called the microcosm.

The Microcosms vary in appearance, location and content and are usuallynamed accordingly, such as: microcosm associated with a carious lesion,gingival microcosm, periodontal microcosms, lingual microcosm, andtonsillar microcosm.

This microcosm (or plaque as it is popularly called) is the substancethat, if left in place in its dark, warm, protected areas of the mouth,can cause gum tissue (or periodontal) disease and dental caries.

By repeated, thorough, systematic cleansing of the oral cavity and theteeth, we may far reduce the amountof fermentable substance in the mouthand the number-of fermentable organisms as to materially diminish theproduction of Acid. s

Reduction in turn will aid in controlling dental decay that once thezoogleal substances cost a tooth, the first organism .to take up a moreor less permanent abode are, the Coccoid forms. They are soon followedby the filamenteous bacteria that cling very tenaciously to the toothand tissue surfaces. Once removed by personal oral hygiene, thefilaments will return in 2448 hours. They are accompanied by andinterspersed with epithelial cells, white blood cells, red blood cellsand many other varieties, of microorganism. If they are left undisturbedby the toothbrush, pick or other mechanical device for several days,this microcosm will be well established and difficult to remove.Depending upon the nature ofthe microbial population, the kind ofnutrients available and other environmental factors, the microcosm maymineralize forming calculus on thetooth surface, or it may reverse thisprocess and demineralize the tooth surface creating a carious lesionand/or produce toxic products leading to the inception of periodontal orother disease.

The enamel area covering the teeth is very difficult to clean,particularly between the teeth and in the interior surface of the mouth.This hard enamel generally stops near or at the gum line, i.e., thegingivae, and at this point is extended by material called cementum,which is a soft substance. With the advent of adulthood, and inadvancing years, the gum line can recede, even in healthy persons, thusexposing more and more of this soft area of cementum. Vigorous brushingis inclined to scratch this area, causing V-shaped grooves, which arecut in the teeth at the gum line and could require restoring, eventhough there is no evidence of decay. It would appear that the generaltendency has been towards cure-alls in the line of dentifriceimprovements, which are to accomplish that which the toothbrush isdesigned to do.

One particular difficulty that is present in all toothbrushing is thefact that the hand moving through the arm and elbow is used to control a6 inch toothbrush having several rows of bristles and this must move andcover various very small areas of the mouth. The movement of the arm canaccomplish this purpose only with certain distinct limitations. This isbecause the degree of control in the arm is not adapted to such finemotions required to accomplish the covering of all areas of the teethwithout some practice and considerable difficulty. It is because it isdifficult to manipulate the arm and elbow of a person to cover all ofthe surfaces, that one of the principal difficulties has arisen.

THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION It is important to controlthis microcosm so that dental disease can be better controlled. It isproposed to do this in a superior manner by providing the capability ofthe individual to maintain a tactile sense and thus feel more accuratelywhere he is in the masticatory region.

This invention relates to a tactile sensing finger tool particularlydirected to a toothbrush comprised of bristles which may be secured tothe finger through a thin and flexible medium so that the inherentdexterity of thefinger and the direct tactile sense of the finger areemployed as distinguished from the oral tactile sense alone. Thistoothbrush and bristles may have impregnated therein a dentifrice andmay employ other structural features to more fully accomplish itspurpose.

The invention also relates to a tooth cleaning and polishing methodwherein the direct tactile sense of the finger is used in directing thecleaning of the teeth, wherein the areas between the teeth and in thevicinity of the gums are more effectively cleaned on all exposedsurfaces.

This new toothbrushing tool and method of cleaning the teeth willaccomplish the purpose with a minimum of traumatization while permittingeasy massage of the gingival tissue. It will also permit better coverageof the cervical portion of the clinical crown besides the interdentalembrasures and the other gingival tissue. It also will better cover theproximal surfaces and the occlusal grooves or crevices. These areas areparticularly important as they are the prime area of attack of dentalcaries that are really unnecessary if effective tooth cleaning werebeing done. Today there are several well known methods of brushing theteeth, including the generally accepted Bass or Arnim technique ofdisrupting the microcosm with a soft tooth brush and unwaxed dentalfloss. The extent of use of these methods is unknown, but it is probablethat they are not being used as widely as they might.

It is an object of this new invention to provide a convenient way ofusing the tactile sense in the fingertip, together with a bristle areathat could contain dentifrice for polishing the teeth. Good control isobtained because of the careful articulation of the finger. Most allsurfaces of the mouth can be covered in this manner. It is well knownthat certain surfaces are not now easily covered. It is only tooapparent that the lingual and palatal surfaces are coveredinsufficiently by most people. Further it will be seen that certainareas on the users right or left hand side may be covered to a lessextent because of righthandedness and lefthandedness in certain people.

It is a feature of this invention that these normally inaccessible areascan now be reached effectively.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a new finger toothbrush,employing tactile sensing, which may easily reach these critical areas,and because the sensing of the bristle is directly in contact with thenerve centers of the fingertip the exact areas between the teeth andgums can be felt and covered so that very few portions of the mouthremain to be cleaned by other means.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of one preferred embodiment of thetoothbrush tool.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the toothbrush tool.

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged section showing the criti- 'cal structureof the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a users hand with the tool attached.

FIG. 5 is a view from the finger end, illustrating the directionalinfluence upon the bristles by the finger contour.

FIG. 6 illustrates the tool in use.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The structure for carrying out the purposes ofthe invention can take on many specific forms once the principles andpurposes are understood.

This description is intended to instruct the reader in the principles.

A very effective tool has a base strip 10. This strip is not the mostcritical portion of the tool, but must meet the specification of beingvery flexible but tough enough to hold installed bristles firmly.

Bristles 12 are conventional, but not all conventional bristles willfunction to optimum. Preferably, bristles 12 should be about 0.007 inchNylon (registered trademark Dupont Corporation) with rounded ends.

In this preferred embodiment, the bristles 12 are shown in FIG. 3 aspenetrating base 10 in two separate but closely spaced locations. Asingle bristle is looped on one side of the base 10 around a lock strand14. Strand 14 aids materially in holding the bristles against loss inuse, and makes possible the use of much thinner and less tough base 10.

The primary intent of this invention is to enable the user to direct thebristles most effectively. The gum tissue alone is not sufficient.Hence, this invention is dedicated to the concept of providing a keensense of control by providing a sense of feel of both ends of thebristle to the brain.

To fulfill this purpose, the tool is adhered to the soft finger fleshwhich is designed by nature with nerve endings specifically for responseto delicate stimulation.

Ideally, the structure of base and bristles alone held on the fingertipwould produce the fullest response. Since such objective isunobtainable, it has been found that a very thin and very tenaciousadhesive layer will produce optimum response.

Fasson Corporation adhesive 333 DC Polyester S 814 PO No. 320646Specification 46411 Co No. 79071 is a non-allergenic medically approvedadhesive, and is shown in FIG. 3 as coating 16.

Coating 16, although also covering the looped ends of the bristles, willallow pressure on the bristles to be very clearly sensed by the skinnerves to which it is attached. This coating 16 is protected until readyfor use by a conventional cover strip, not illustrated. The tool may bereused, but the specified Fasson adhesive must be replaced for a seconduse because it loses its holding power after use.

The tool is flat in its manufactured form shown in FIGS. 1-3, but wheninstalled on the finger, the natural curvature of the finger will causethe bristle rows to fan out as shown in FIG. 5 to provide bristles forreaching difficult areas. The most effective form of the concept is asshown in FIG. 1. Although a strip brush, or other shape, will be useful,the form of FIG. 1 provides a unique mode of operation and improvedresult.

The FIG. 1 form is essentially a substantially round body portion 20,with a v" cut 21 at the front along a center axis, and a tab end 22 onthe opposite side.

The adhesive is tenacious, and therefore tab 22 is provided withoutadhesive to afford a grip portion for removal.

When installed, the body portion will wrap around the ball of the fingertip without producing a wrinkle, because of the v cut. See FIG. 5.

Note, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, that the bristles which areessentially parallel in FIGS. 1 and 2, take on a multi-directionalattitude when installed on the finger.

It has been found that even a tooth brush on a handle cannot normallyreach all areas of tooth surface with the ease and control provided bythis configuration. Further, the round body which results in themultidirectional bristle configuration allows cleaning all surfaces withone device installed on one finger.

Research has shown that it would be difficult to pivot the index fingeradequately to reach the lingual or palatal surfaces of the teeth andgums with bristles projecting in only one plane from the finger.

Therefore in order to overcome this problem the cleaning bristles havebeen extended up on the proximal surfaces of the finger in order toeffect a sideways motion to bring the bristles in direct contact to thesurfaces on both the right and left sides of the mouth to remove theplaque deposits.

Dentifrice is used by most people, and may be applied from conventionalsources. However, it is feasible to supply a dry dentifrice installedbetween the bristles, which may be used with or without extra water. Adeposit of such dentifrice is shown at 18 in FIG. 2, but is omitted fromall other views.

A new user of the tool may be advised to obtain a supply of plaquedisclosing tablets or liquid from the druggist to learn the mosteffective technique to follow in using this new means for plaquedestruction.

' I claim:

1. A dental health tool, comprising: 1

a flexible sheet base member having a top and bottom surface;

a plurality of bristles carried by said base member,

each bristle having a beginning portion substantially at said bottomsurface, said bristle extending through said base member and emanatingfrom said top surface in an erect attitude orientated such that pressureapplied to said bristle in a direction along its major axis will betransmitted through the base member to said beginning portion; and

an adhesive coating on said bottom side of said base member, saidcoating being of a film nature in thickness with said beginning portionprotruding, and which is pressure sensitive to human skin,

whereby, when the base member is applied to the finger surface it willhold said bristle beginning portion pressed into intimate contact withthe finger nerve endings of the user.

2. A dental tool as defined in claim 1, in which each bristle extendsthrough the sheet base and loops back to present two bristle ends, and alock strand extends through the loop on the bottom side of said base,said loop portion positioned below said bottom side to provideessentially direct contact with the skin of the user separated therefromonly by said adhesive coating.

3. A dental health tool, comprising:

a plurality of bristles each having a base end and an opposite tip end;

a flexible web bonding said bristles into a unitary structure with theweb defining a bottom surface substantially coincident with the saidbristle base ends, each bristle extending through said web in an erectattitude orientated such that pressure applied to a bristle -in adirection along its major axis will be transmitted through the web tosaid base end, and;

an adhesive coating on said bottom surface which is adherent to humanskin and of film nature in thickness with said base end protruding,

whereby, when the web is applied to the finger surface it will hold saidbristle base end pressed into intimate contact with the finger nerveendings of the user.

4. A dental health tool comprising:

a flexible sheet member having a top and bottom surface, with a planoutline which is rounded in a main body configuration, having a notchremoved at a front end to permit attachment to a finger surface withoutwrinkle;

a plurality of bristles carried by said base member emanating from saidtop surface in an erect attitude; and

an adhesive coating on said bottom which is pressure sensitive to humanskin whereby, when the web is applied to the finger surface it will holdsaid bristle base end pressed into intimate contact with the fingernerve endings of the user.

1. A dental health tool, comprising: a flexible sheet base member havinga top and bottom surface; a plurality of bristles carried by said basemember, each bristle having a beginning portion substantially at saidbottom surface, said bristle extending through said base member andemanating from said top surface in an erect attitude orientated suchthat pressure applied to said bristle in a direction along its majoraxis will be transmitted through the base member to said beginningportion; and an adhesive coating on said bottom side of said basemember, said coating being of a film nature in thickness with saidbeginning portion protrudinG, and which is pressure sensitive to humanskin, whereby, when the base member is applied to the finger surface itwill hold said bristle beginning portion pressed into intimate contactwith the finger nerve endings of the user.
 2. A dental tool as definedin claim 1, in which each bristle extends through the sheet base andloops back to present two bristle ends, and a lock strand extendsthrough the loop on the bottom side of said base, said loop portionpositioned below said bottom side to provide essentially direct contactwith the skin of the user separated therefrom only by said adhesivecoating.
 3. A dental health tool, comprising: a plurality of bristleseach having a base end and an opposite tip end; a flexible web bondingsaid bristles into a unitary structure with the web defining a bottomsurface substantially coincident with the said bristle base ends, eachbristle extending through said web in an erect attitude orientated suchthat pressure applied to a bristle in a direction along its major axiswill be transmitted through the web to said base end, and; an adhesivecoating on said bottom surface which is adherent to human skin and offilm nature in thickness with said base end protruding, Whereby, whenthe web is applied to the finger surface it will hold said bristle baseend pressed into intimate contact with the finger nerve endings of theuser.
 4. A dental health tool comprising: a flexible sheet member havinga top and bottom surface, with a plan outline which is rounded in a mainbody configuration, having a notch removed at a front end to permitattachment to a finger surface without wrinkle; a plurality of bristlescarried by said base member emanating from said top surface in an erectattitude; and an adhesive coating on said bottom which is pressuresensitive to human skin whereby, when the web is applied to the fingersurface it will hold said bristle base end pressed into intimate contactwith the finger nerve endings of the user.